Breathe
by Know-It-All-2009
Summary: COMPLETE! Auggie hasn't been home for Christmas since the year after his accident. Annie Walker, his best friend and girlfriend, convinces him to go home to surprise his mother for the upcoming Christmas season.
1. 01 Linger

Authoress Note: If you've followed me for any length of time you'll notice I tend to write to music. What started this fan fiction was Breathe (2 AM) by Anna Nalick. The song that inspired this chapter was Linger- The Cranberries. This is my first Covert Affairs fan fiction and it is also my longest fiction on either of my accounts. I hope you enjoy!

Fixed the time typo...I put pm instead of AM thank you **fbobs**

* * *

**Breathe  
**_Prologue: Linger  
_Chapter Rating: K+to Teen

Annie sighed and entered her key card into her hotel room door; kicking off her heels as soon as the door behind her was shut. She shook her head before squeezing her eyes shut to the beginnings of a migraine that was forming. Annie Walker let out another sigh before finally opening her eyes. The splendor of the room that was in front of her was not lost on her. It certainly wasn't agency sanctioned which meant Auggie had to have pulled some strings for her.

She was currently in Hong Kong having finished up a pass. Thankfully her contact had given up all the information with one drop, but not before someone had tried to steal that information. Chinese Mafia from what Auggie had told her after she had been grazed by a bullet. It had taken forever for her to find an out but Auggie's voice in her ear was her salvation once again and it allowed her to get back to the Conrad Hong Kong Hotel in time to get some rest before her flight left at seven am. A glance at her watch told her it was going on eleven at night, which meant it was 10:00 am the pervious day back at Langley. She thought about calling Auggie but he knew her pass went well and right now all she wanted to do was sink into a bath and get the grim from the past week off her body.

Pulling out her ear wig she turned to her bathroom, cutting on the taps before going back into the main room and pulling her four-day old clothes off, throwing them haphazardly into her go bag once she pulled a t-shirt and a pair of sweats from the bag. Once back in the bathroom she saw a basket sitting on the counter, on closer inspection she found a note that was attached to it, pulling it from the cellophane before folding it open and giving it a cursory glance:

_Enjoy Walker, you've earned it._

_Anderson _

The note, typed in Times New Roman 12-point, made a smile cross her face. It proved her earlier theory that Auggie had something to do with her room assignment. She poured a portion of the bubble bath into her water before sinking into the scalding hot water, carefully setting both her personal and work phones on the toilet's tank as the water engulfed her bruised and beaten body. A hiss escaped her lips as her upper torso hit the water where the bullet grazed her, she would have to look at it when she got out of the tub. She shook off the thought as she finally allowed her head to ease under the water, a precious gift after the past week.

Annie was so immersed in the relief of the water that she almost didn't hear one of her phone's ringing. As the water splashed from her quick emergence from the water she grabbed her personal cellphone, answering the phone call without looking at the caller ID.

"Annie." She said, allowing her back to rest against the back of the bathtub as the water worked away her aches from all the work she had put in.

"Is that anyway to thank me Walker?" The familiar teasing voice asked in her ear, causing Annie to smile at the familiarity of Auggie's voice.

A smile graced her lips at how thoughtful her handler and best friend was.

"So what do I have to thank you for?" she said, making sure that her voice held a teasing quality to it, it sounded like Auggie had been up for a while, probably working on another operative's case.

His familiar laugh graced her ears, letting her know she had succeeded in her personal mission.

"You are something else. I'll see you tomorrow when you come in to the DPD to debrief with Joan. Enjoy your bath Walker." How quickly he cut the call told her he was _still _in the middle of another mission, which made her wonder just how long he had been awake. She knew he had been awake at least two days except for small naps in his office because he had been in her ear almost the entirety of the past forty-eight hours.

Once out of her bath she made her way back to her small duffel bag, pulling out the first-aid kit that she had learned to carry with her. Rummaging through the bag she found the kit, pulling out a bandage that was slightly larger than her hand and the tape that came in every kit. An alcohol wipe was swiped over the graze with much hesitation, but a little bit of pain was better than an infection from a bullet graze. The guaze was then applied and tapped into place, before she began the tedious process of wrapping her upper torso to ease the ache of her bruised ribs.

Once she had done all she could do for her wound she wandered back into the bathroom pulling the vanilla lotion from the care package Auggie had ordered for her, smoothing it over her skin and then pulling on her sleep-ware. She then returned to the bed that stood before her in the overly-large room. Digging around in her bag she found her IPod and her head phones, turning it to the playlist of Mingus that Auggie had made for her before placing her ear buds in and allowing her mind to empty, even if sleep wasn't on the horizon for her anytime soon.

* * *

Her alarm going off at five in the morning was a blessing and a curse, she had tossed and turned for three hours which only left her three hours of restless sleep. She knew once she got home she would be able to sleep but she was running on fumes and she still had to debrief with Joan when she got in. No matter how many flights she had been on she was not looking forward to a twenty hour flight, even if it only had one layover at JFK Airport. She had packed her bag the night before which allowed her to check out of her hotel room quickly, leaving her less time to stop and think about the pain in her side as she headed towards the airport to catch her flight home. Once she was past checkout however the pain in her side flared up to an almost unbearable level, as she dug around in her bag, finally coming up with a prescription pain killer that was left over from her last trip to the hospital at Langley. She twirled the bottle, contemplating weather to take it or not when her phone rang. A glance at the caller ID told her it was Auggie, which made her wonder if he had even gone home the night before.

"Walker." She didn't mean for her tone to sound so clipped but it had been a long week, something Auggie was well aware of.

"Someone sounds like she hasn't gotten enough rest." The forced cheerfulness in his voice bothered her but she was over a day way from him, there really was nothing she could do about it.

"I could say the same for you. I'm boarding the flight in a few minutes. I should be back on US soil in twenty hours if my layover isn't that long."

Annie heard a pause and then the sound of his watch saying '6:45' before he spoke again.

"See you at three in the morning Walker. Enjoy your flight," and with that comment her phone disconnected just as a call from Joan came in.

"Annie, your flight has you getting back in at three." She paused, it wasn't a question and Annie knew as much. "Go home and get some sleep. Finish your report from home, bring it in and leave, and I'll see you back in the office in a week and a half."

Before Annie could offer a verbal reply she was disconnected again, something she was getting tired of happening, but it came with the territory of working for the DPD apparently, quick and to the point. She didn't have time to worry about it for much longer as her flight was called to board, meaning she was one step closer to finally being home, a week and a half off work was sounding wonderful at the moment.

The flight was long and she wasn't able to sleep much but somewhere into the twenty hour flight she drifted off to sleep, Mingus playing in her ears. She woke up several hours later to the lady that was sitting next to her shaking her, telling her they had landed in DC and where taxing in. A glance at her watch showed that it was indeed almost three in the morning by the time they landed. She was half asleep when she walked through the gate into the airport and she thought she was seeing things at first. A shake of her head later told her that it was in fact her best friend leaning up against a pole, with his civilian issued cane barley touching the floor.

Auggie must have smelled her perfume because his smile grew wider the closer she got to him until they were a few feet apart.

"Ready to go home Walker?" he asked, automatically resting his free hand in the crook of her arm as she began to guide him out of the airport.

"You have no idea. What are you doing here at this ungodly hour?" she asked, slightly leaning on him for support, she felt like she could sleep for another twenty hours.

"I just finished up my other open case. The agent is on their way back home and Joan told me to get the hell out of the office for at least a week and a half." His trademark smirk came to his face, even as she finally took in his eyes, they looked bloodshot, almost like he was high off of something, she filed that information away for when they were alone though. The car service was waiting for them and the driver gave her a brief hello before focusing on the road, intent on getting the exhausted duo home quickly and safely.

When they reached Auggie's apartment, Annie gave him a questioning look but he just shook his head, slipping his driver a fifty dollar bill before slipping out the car, not bothering to unfold his cane as Annie once again took the post of sighted lead. They silently made their way up to his apartment, Annie never once questioning his silent offer to stay the night. As soon as the key hit the door, they both pulled their jackets off, Auggie pausing long enough to close and lock the door behind him before reaching for his jacket to find that Annie had already hug up their jackets.

"Annie?" he asked, making his way into the kitchen, finding one of the few bottles of wine that he held in his fridge, pouring them both a glass of wine before heading back to his couch. Setting both glasses down on his coffee table he swiftly unbuttoned his shirt, shucking it off before pulling off the wife beater that was underneath, laying them both over the back of the couch. It felt good to be out of his tie and dress shirt.

"Annie?" he called again, turning when he heard the soft pitter-patter of Annie's feet on his hardwood floors.

"Sorry Auggie, I ran to the bathroom." She said, startling slightly at the sight of him without a shirt before sinking down on the couch about a foot away from him, accepting the glass of wine that Auggie held out to her.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Annie turned to face him.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked, taking a sip of her wine while waiting on him to reply.

"You want the easy answer or you want the truth?" he asked, knowing she wasn't going to like it either way.

The look Auggie could feel her shooting off in his direction told him all he needed to know.

"Going on almost seventy-two hours, I was running two ops at once at opposite times." He said, setting his glass of wine down before turning to face her again. "Take your shirt off. I want to look at your wound." He said, already reaching over and starting the process of unbuttoning her shirt.

Annie just brushed his hand off and finished unbuttoning it, sliding it off her shoulders before guiding Auggie's hand to the bandage that she had long since bled through. Auggie frowned when he felt the blood-soaked bandage underneath her bra before grabbing her by the elbow and leading her to his bedroom.

"Sit." He said, waving his hand in the general direction of his bed as he stepped into his bathroom, returning with a more extensive first-aid kit than the one she had in Hong Kong. "You may want to pull your bra off Walker. I promise not to peak." He said, the teasing tone back in his voice as he heard her sharp intake of breath. When he heard the clasp of her bra coming undone, he swallowed a knot in his throat when he felt her hand brush his as she let her bra drop off the side of the bed.

Auggie didn't think to let his hands warm up as he let her guide his hand to her bandage which was right under her breast. He heard her suck in a breath before he found the edge of the bandage, ripping it off in one quick moment, forcing Annie back onto the bed when her entire upper body jerked off his bed.

"Shit Auggie!" he heard her hiss, causing him to laugh while she swatted his arm.

"If I had warned you it wouldn't have made it any better." When his cold hand brushed against the graze she sucked in her breathe again. "Breathe Annie. I'm just checking to make sure there's no fragmentation in the wound." It still hurt no matter what he told her. When he finished pulling out a small metal fragment he heard her whimper, causing his heart to jerk at the fact he had made her cry. It didn't matter that much, it had to be done. Unless she preferred lead poisoning and he highly doubted that.

He paused long enough to run his hand up the side of her ribs to her shoulder, before planting a friendly kiss on the top of her head. Annie heard him whispering "I'm sorry," over and over again as he finally finished bandaging her up. When he went to stand she grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back to the bed for her, earning her an earnest laugh.

"I'm just getting you some clothes Annie. I'll be back." He whispered, pressing another kiss to her head before she was comfortable enough to let him go. When his arm was released he made his way to his dresser pulling his army shirt and sweats out of his dresser before sitting back down next to Annie on the bed. He heard her shifting on the bed as she slipped on the shirt and then the sound of her zipper as her skirt came off and his sweats went over her legs and hips. She handed him her shirt and skirt, knowing he placed them in her spare drawer in his dresser before he changed into his own pair of sweats before slipping into the bed next to her. As he pulled the blankets up over them he heard her breathing even out. It let him know that she slipped into the first deep sleep of the past several months.


	2. 02 Wreck of the Day

**Breathe  
01. **Wreck of the Day

Annie was brought of her slumber by the smell of coffee coming from the kitchen. She breathed in the deep aroma just now registering the arm that was thrown across her stomach, telling her she wasn't in her sister's guest house. As memories of the last week came back to her she let out a shaky breathe. She was safe. She was in her best friend's apartment and they had fallen asleep in his bed together. The smell of the coffee got stronger as she lay there, debating about how she was going to slip out from under Auggie who had curled up into her side. His leg was entangled with hers, his arm was thrown across her stomach and he had turned her chest into a pillow in the dark of the night. It was a little disconcerting at first, but it was Auggie, she knew he didn't mean to trap her like this.

It seemed the smell of coffee hit his nose as well as he tightened his grip on her as he came out of his sleep induced state.

"How you feeling Walker?" he asked, his voice gravely as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes before shifting his body, untangling from her.

"Good. I smell coffee." She said, stretching, forgetting about the graze on her side, wincing when she pulled the skin to far.

"Keep it up Walker and I'll have to stitch you back together, and a blind guy with a needle is a scary thing." He said, smiling in what he assumed was her direction before slipping from the bed and heading toward the coffee. "Take a shower, you'll feel better." The tone he used with this made her realize it wasn't a question but a statement.

"Can I have coffee first Anderson?" she asked, following him into his kitchen as she watched the way his sweatpants slipped lower on his hip with every step.

"If you insist." He said, sighing as he poured two cups of coffee before he wasn't able to hold in his laugh any longer. Turning to Annie in shock as a shirt hit him square in the chest. "Is that a hint to get dressed?" he asked, setting the shirt aside to take a deep drink from a coffee cup before handing it to Annie, who looked at him flummoxed before taking the cup from him and taking her own drink. She shook her head clear of the thoughts that invaded her foggy brain before turning back to the cup in her hands.

"Go take that shower Annie. Breakfast will be done before you get out." He said, giving her a light shove in the direction of his bedroom when he heard her wince louder than she assumed. He was by her side in an instant, checking her for further wounds, sighing when he didn't find any.

"You ok?" he asked, running his hand up her side to check where the bullet grazed her. He was happy to find that it hadn't bled through, allowing himself a sigh of relief.

"I'm fine." She tried to protest as he checked her wound but sucked in a surprised breathe when Auggie placed an arm underneath her knees and then behind her neck, carrying her into the bathroom before depositing her on the toilet.

He didn't say anything as he started the taps before pulling the plug so that she could take a bath. As the water ran he pulled out a towel and a washcloth out of a cabinet above the sink. When he reached to pull her shirt off however, steady hands stopped him.

"I can handle it Auggie. Go finish breakfast, I may need help out of the tub however. " The unspoken 'my ribs are sore' settled in the air as he gave her a kiss on her head before exiting his bathroom to return to the makings of breakfast.

As Auggie began pulling pans out of the cabinets he thought of the woman that was soaking in his tub. She was his best friend but if he was honest he wanted more than that. He wanted her to be his, but he wasn't going to ruin such a good friendship over something that may or may not last. As he pulled the eggs out of the fridge he heard her sigh and the sound of water splashing in his bathroom.

"You ok Walker?" he asked, raising his voice loud enough for her to hear him through his open floor plan.

He heard another splash before she was able to answer him.

"Yeah I'm good Anderson. Just shifted wrong." Her musical voice floated through the open air, making him realize just how much she meant to him. Even when she wasn't around him as often as he would like. Turning his thoughts from Annie he began to think about what it would mean to go home to Glencoe for the Christmas holidays. It was true he hadn't seen his family since the Christmas after this accident and it truly hadn't gone well. Hadn't gone well was an understatement but he knew Annie was right, it was time to get over it and try and reconnect with his family. He heard the pitter patter of Annie's feet coming back into his kitchen and he shook himself from his thoughts as a pair of toned arms wrapped around his stomach.

"Morning sexy," he said, turning to give her a kiss on her head, pulling her into a one armed hug before turning back to the eggs in front of him as Annie began to pull plates from his counters. "I was thinking we could ask Joan for nine days off and leave tomorrow for Christmas. It's the seventeenth so it would enable us to drive and still surprise my mom."

A noncommittal 'hmm' escaped her lips as she finished setting the table, turning to refill their coffee cups before setting Auggie's next to him.

"Coffee's at your three love." She said before taking a deep drag of her hot coffee before speaking again. "That sounds good to me. You realize this means we need to file a Close and Continuing with Joan either before we leave or get back."

Auggie laughed a full bodied laugh before shaking her head in the positive.

"Yes I do. We can get that done today, I just have to turn in my report and then I'm free for a week and a half" she said, allowing the worry to creep in her voice, causing Auggie to turn to her and pull her to him.

"Annie, she has no reason not to. We both work for the DPD, and as I told you day one interoffice relationships are encouraged, helps keep the lies at bay." He whispered in her hair, breathing in the scent of her Jo Malone Grapefruit perfume that was slightly misted over her body. "Eat up, we have to get to work and close out some stuff before we'll be able to leave anyway."

Thankfully they had enough time to finish their breakfast in relative peace before Annie drove them back to the guest house she was staying in to quickly change clothes. Auggie, ever the gentleman, sat on the bed as he heard the woman he loved rusiling aroundas she gathered a bag for the trip.

"What's the weather like in Glencoe this time of year?" she asked, pulling down jeans and t-shirts that she knew she would need.

"Cold…cold and cold, I think that about covers it." He said, pretending to think about it when what he assumed was a sweater that she intended to pack. "I'm going to call Joan and tell her that you're coming in to drop off the report, I'll leave out the part about the Close and Continuing but it is a little past due."

Annie disappeared into her bathroom to pull out her toiletries and when she came back into the main room, Auggie had just gotten off the phone.

"She said to just email her the report and we'll call it even. She did force out our hand on the C & C. She wants it on her desk the day we get back." The lazy smile on his face told her the phone call had gone better than he had ever hoped for.

The sound of a zipper told him she had finished packing, when he heard her open her safe and pull her personal gun out of it, he cocked his eyebrow.

"Why your gun Walker?" he asked, feeling his way towards her as she slipped the gun into the back of her waistband.

"With our luck we'll need it. I plan on leaving it in the center console anyway." She said, brushing off the gut feeling that she had to have it with her.

Auggie turned towards her, pulling Annie to him before letting them fall back onto her bed.

"Annie there's something I need to tell you before we go to Glencoe." He said, taking a deep breathe to steady himself before laying another kiss into her hairline. "My accident in Tikrit happened around Christmas time our time. It was in June on Tikrit time, but I tended to run off Glencoe time either way. I know last year you were with me for the last three days of it, but usually starting on or around the twenty-second my mood shifts. I tend to be quicker to anger and my nightmares get worse. I know you've already dealt with my nightmares but the ones around Christmas I usually come up swinging from and I didn't want to drop that on you the night I woke you up screaming."

He didn't hear Annie say anything until he felt her hands running across his face, smoothing out the worry lines that had creeped into his face over the course of their conversation.

"August Anderson, I told you that I would never leave you. I love you August and I don't intend to let you go anytime soon." She whispered, finally pulling him to her, giving him a scalding kiss as they fell back onto her bed.

The silent tears that fell from his eyes caught her attention as she kissed both stray tears away.

"I love you Annie Catherine Walker. More than you will ever know." The raw emotion in his voice shook Annie to her core but the vibrations of pleasure that coursed through her body earned him a wonton moan from the depths of her soul.

"Auggie, we have almost a full day's drive ahead of us. We need to get on the road if we want to be there by dinner time." She said, pulling Auggie to his feet as she sat up, fixing her shirt that Auggie had skillfully skewed.

"Alright Miss Walker. To Glencoe we go. I haven't told my mother we're coming I was hoping to surprise them, she's been begging to meet you since I first mentioned you over two years ago. My youngest older brother Alex and my mom and dad have all been read-in but the rest have not, they just think I work at the Pentagon. Be careful answering if we work together or not, I'll have to check with Joan on if our C & C is approved before we tell them."

Annie nodded her head before laughing, letting Auggie know that it had slipped her mind that he was blind. Something that didn't bother him as it did with other people. It took them another twenty minutes to get on the road but once they did Auggie pulled in his IPod, the sound of Mingus filling their ears as they started on their almost full day drive.

They drove in silence for the first three hours before Annie spotted a Starbucks off the interstate, when she changed lanes Auggie turned to look at her.

"Where are we stopping?" he asked, reaching over to rest a hand on her leg, giving it a light squeeze.

"I saw a Starbucks, thought you might want some coffee Anderson." The smile evident in her voice, he returned the smile as she slipped into the drive thru, automatically ordering both their coffee's and waving off his offer of his debit card before handing the barista her card. Two Pumpkin Spice Latte's later and they were back on the road with Ray Charles, echoing throughout the car.

"Just so you know Walker, we may not be able to sleep in the same room. I don't know if mom has changed any but she used to be pretty old-fashioned. She'll probably put you in my old room and stick me in the adjourning room, there's a bathroom that connects them, unless they've remodeled it. I do intend to be in your bed every night though, I'll just have to leave before mom gets up." That lazy smirk crossed his face as Annie reached over and tapped him hard on his arm.

"I never said I could go that long without you in my arms Annie." It was said barley above a whisper but the fact he admitted it out loud made butterflies start up in her stomach.

"Good to know Anderson. Good to know." Was her reply before she shifted her focus back to the road before her and the last long leg of their journey.


	3. 03 Homecoming

Breathe  
03. Homecoming

When they made it to Glencoe, Illinois it was almost five that evening. As they drove through the small town Auggie pointed out the high school that he and his brothers had gone to and the gym he had practiced for the wrestling team. The closer they got to his house the more wound up Auggie seemed. When they were within two blocks of his house he stopped talking all together, the grip he had on her leg tightened considerably.

"Auggie, I am right here next to you. Everything will be ok, I will not leave your side." She said, returning the grip he had on her leg as she directed her to the street he grew up on. When they pulled up into his parents driveway, he let out a breathe he didn't know he was holding as he turned to the angel beside him when she stopped the car.

"You ready to meet the Anderson's, Miss Walker?" he asked as he opened his door, making his way carefully around his car to her door. When he opened the door and offered her his arm, Annie took it gratefully. "You are my rock, Annie. Thank you for convincing me to come." He said, bringing her in for a kiss before releasing her as quickly as he had pulled her to him.

His grip on her sighted lead tightened as they walked up to the front door, Auggie considered ringing the doorbell but thought better off it as he opened the door, allowing Annie to guide him into his childhood home.

"Kitchen's to the right through the living room. I can hear mom moving around in there." He said, not releasing her arm even though he knew his childhood home better than his own apartment. Annie lead him to the door leading to the kitchen, when she went to pull him into the kitchen he stopped her, leaning them against the doorframe, holding her flush against his skin as his girlfriend watched his mother move around the kitchen.

Jane Anderson was a beautiful woman. At fifty-eight years old, she was the picture of beauty with Auggie's dark brown hair and his build. When Jane turned around from taking a glass out of the cabinet, Annie watched as the woman dropped her glass, her hands coming over her mouth as she made her way towards them.

"August! COLLIN GET DOWN HERE!" she shouted as she made her way to her youngest son, Annie skillfully stepping out of the way as she crushed her youngest son into a bone crushing hug.

"Hi mom." The humor in his voice earned him a hit on the arm, which he winced in humor of his mother just as his father came running down the stairs.

"Jane what's… August!" Collin Anderson exclaimed, pulling both his wife and his youngest son into another hug just as Jane released him.

Annie watched from the sidelines, smiling at the sheer joy Auggie's parents where giving off as they stayed embraced in silence.

"Mind turning me lose, mom, dad? I have someone I want you to meet." Auggie said, thankfully when his parents turned him lose as he held his hand out in what he assumed was Annie's direction.

"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet Annie Walker." He said, pulling her into him as he placed a kiss on the side of her ear. "You can thank her for convincing me to come home. She can be quite persucavice when she wants to be."

Jane immediately reached to Annie, pulling the young blonde into a bone crushing hug.

"I'm glad you're here Annie. Thank you for bringing my boy home." She said, giving Annie a kiss on the check as she turned her over to Collin. Collin Anderson took the conservative route, shaking her hand, grinning at her before he to pulled her into a hug.

"We can't thank you enough Miss Walker. I've missed my boy. How long are you two staying?" he said as Jane ushered them to sit at the kitchen table as he pulled two beers out of the fridge, handing one to Auggie who immediately opened it before sliding it over to Annie. It earned him a laugh from his father.

"I'll get you another one Auggie." He said, but Auggie shook him off, taking the beer back from Annie and taking a swig before returning it to her.

"We'll share. We came here to spend time with you guys, not drink." Auggie said, laying a hand on Annie's free hand.

"Sounds fair enough, Annie do you like to bake? I usually start my holiday baking early as I have a whole brood to feed. I was going to start after dinner." Jane asked, turning to Annie with a smile.

"Mom, we just got here. Give us tonight to get settled in if you don't mind. Annie drove the whole way in case you forgot." Auggie said, cracking a joke at his expense, straining his ears until he heard his parents' heartfelt laughs. That was a good sign, which meant they had healed enough from his accident in Tikrit that he could joke around with it.

"Speaking of Collin, go get their bags from the car. You can stick them both in August's old room." She said, noticing the shocked look on Auggie's face. "I'm old young man, not stupid. I've called you enough times late at night hearing her voice in your ear to know she's over at your apartment more than her place." The sound of his mother's laugh eased him, letting him know that she truly was ok with them sharing a room.

"Annie, can you help my dad? I want to talk to mom for a moment." Auggie said, squeezing her arm as she slipped out of her chair to follow his dad. When he was certain that she was clear of the room he turned back towards his mother.

"Thank you." Was all he said as he took another sip of his beer, thinking back to his last Christmas at home.

"I know you still have nightmares. I know you haven't mentioned them in a while, around the time that young woman stumbled into your life. I'd be a fool to keep you away from her August." She said, raw emotion coming through at how happy Annie made him.

"She makes me happy mom. I've thought about changing her last name this Christmas." He said, gauging his mother's reaction to his statement as she took in a sharp breathe.

"She's good for you Auggie, I saw that when you were back in Georgetown, just from how you spoke about her." She said, coming up to wrap an arm around her son's shoulders. "She would make a wonderful Anderson." She said, whispering the last part into his hair before turning back to the chicken dinner she had placed in the oven.

"Nice to know, ask dad tonight if he'd go ring shopping with…" Auggie stopped his sentence as he heard the front door open, letting him know that his girlfriend and father where back in the house.

"I will. I assume you both will go to sleep around seven or so, Annie looks exhausted from the drive." Jane said, starting the beginning of a salad for dinner just as her husband came down the stairs.

"Annie's going to lay down for a while. She's wiped out. She's asking for you Auggie." He said, turning to his youngest son, who looked just as exhausted as the young lady he had just left upstairs.

"Thanks for the drink dad. I'm going to go check on her." He said, shedding his leather jacket and leaving it on a chair as he carefully navigated his way through his childhood home and up the stairs two at a time before coming to his old bedroom door.

Annie didn't open her eyes as the door creacked open. Just listened to the sound of her boyfriend crossing the room then his belt buckle coming undone as his jeans slid to the floor after he toed off his shoes, his shirt soon joining the pile that was laid across the footboard.

"Nudge over, love." He said, moving her blonde hair from her face as he tapped her shoulder. When she gave him room he slid under the blanket next to her, pulling her close to him. "Thank you so much for doing this with me. They've wanted to meet you for a while now."

Annie just hummed as she curled deeper into his hold on her, turning into the light kiss his pressed to her lips.

"Sleep love. They'll wake us up for dinner. If not we can heat it up." He said, as he allowed his eyes to close.

"So what do they think?" the sleepiness in her voice was hard to miss as she whispered the question into the dark.

"They love you Miss Walker. Just like I do, my brothers will love you just for getting me home." He said, laughing at the fact his fearless operative was worried about meeting the rest of his family. "Now sleep my love. You are exhausted."


	4. 04 Soldier Boy

**Breathe  
04. Solider Boy**

Authoress Note: For those that haven't realized it. I have found my old Anna Nalick CD 'Wreck of the Day'. As I listened to it the idea for this story came to me. Other CDs may be pulled in but time will tell.

August Anderson woke to an empty bed, which shot a pain of fear through him. He pulled his pants and shirt on quickly, leaving his shoes as he took the stairs, pausing when he heard her laughter coming from the kitchen, soon followed by his mother's familiar laugh. It sent a shot of nostalgia through him, he hadn't heard her laugh since after he came back from Tikrit. He followed their laughter into the kitchen, leaning against the door frame again as he took in the sounds of his two favorite women, bustling around the kitchen getting the last of dinner ready.

"Hey Aug. Your dad's out on the deck if you want to grab two beers and head out there." Annie said, pressing a kiss to his check as she passed him, returning within seconds with two ice cold beers which Auggie took without a second thought before making his way through the kitchen without incident, glad that the sliding door was open as he walked through the mesh-netting.

"Hey dad, do you mind guiding me to a chair? Mom said you had added an addition to the deck not too long ago." He said, not liking the fact he had to ask for help but it was better than landing flat on his face.

"No stairs August, just keep walking straight about ten paces then turn around and sit down." His father's voice drifted to his ears. Something he hadn't realized he had missed as much as he had.

Once Auggie was settled into his chair he turned to face his father before handing him his beer.

"What do you think of her?" he asked, he was pretty sure he knew but he wanted to make sure they were ok with Annie.

"She's good for son. She anticipates your needs before you have to ask, I can see it in every step she takes. It's not obvious to someone that hasn't been around someone that has been blinded but she makes sure your path is clear and is looking like she is expecting to protect you from an attack at any given moment." His dad said, smiling at his son, he had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going. Auggie inwardly laughed at how true the last part of the statement was.

"The first day I meet her she had gone to ask about the head phones I was wearing and I assumed she was going to ask about my cane. That was embarrassing, I just blurted out I was blind which threw her for a loop when all she wanted to know was what I was listening too." Auggie said, laughing heartedly at his first memory of Annie Catherine Walker.

"You sound like you're in deep son." His father said, even without his sight Auggie could tell his father was giving him that look.

"I'm so far in I don't want to get out. Would you mind helping me shop for a ring? If it's alright with you and mom I had planned on proposing on Christmas." Auggie said, suddenly very nervous, "that was the whole point in bringing her home with me. I wanted too 'see', for lack of a better word, how you all got along."

"I'd love to son." Collin said, beaming at his son as they fell into a comfortable silence.

* * *

Jane was finishing up the salad as Annie sliced a tomato for her in the kitchen when Jane took in a shuddered breathe.

"I can't thank you enough Annie. I've missed him, after Tikrit he changed, not just physically but emotionally. He spent one Christmas here after Tikrit and then only came back for two days at a time after that nothing any longer." she said, wiping a tear from her eye as she turned back to the Romaine lettuce, taking her frustration out on the stalks within the lettuce.

"We've only talked about Tikrit on a few occasions but knowing Auggie he wanted to assert his independence quickly and get back to standing on his own two feet you know he's very independent," Annie said, proud of the man that Auggie had become after such a tragic accident.

"That he is dear, that he is. You two are good for each other. He never told us the full story of what happened in Tikrit but I know when he's ready he'll tell us." The last part of her sentence was almost a whisper as Auggie and Collin came in from outside, Collin's arm wrapped around Auggie's shoulder.

"Can we help you ladies with anything?" Auggie asked, finding Annie with ease, wrapping his arms around her waist before placing a kiss on her neck, much to the amusement of his parents. He had never been much on public displays of affection but it seemed Annie brought out the best in their son.

"We seem to have it handled. Why don't you go ahead to the table, we just have to put the salad on it and we're ready to go." Jane said, giving her husband a light shove as he tried to steal a cucumber.

The 'yes ma'am' from Auggie had Annie smiling. She had only heard her use that to either Joan, as a term of respect, or to her, as a term of endearment, it was nice to see this side of him.

Dinner went off without a hitch, neither Annie nor Auggie catching the knowing look that his parents gave each other as Annie fixed their son a plate and then used the clock method to tell August where his food was at on his plate before even filling her own plate. The squeeze of hands they gave each other didn't go unnoticed by his parents either.

After dinner was finished Auggie pulled Annie to the living room as his parents cleared the table, pulling her into a searing kiss before seeming to remember where they were.

"I heard you and mom talking when dad and I where outside. Think you can be my handler while I tell them the whole story? I've only told them a portion of it. This time it'll be you in my ear." He said, pressing another kiss into her hair when he felt the tears falling down her face. "Annie, baby girl, what's wrong?"

She tried to stop the sob the escaped her mouth but it still escaped as he pulled her closer until she was back in control of her emotions.

"I love you August. I will do anything for you, all you have to do is ask. I'm honored that you would ask me to do this for you." She said, barely above a whisper as he brushed the tears from her eyes with his thumbs.

"I love you Annie Walker. You amaze me each and every day I have known you." He said, giving her another kiss before they made their way back into the kitchen to see his parents sitting at the table.

"Mom, Dad, do you still have that fire pit outside?" Auggie asked, giving Annie's hand a hard squeeze to let her know it would be ok. When they told him that it was still there he asked them if they would mind lighting it as Annie went about fixing four cups of cocoa. When the fire was lit and the drinks passed around Annie pulled Auggie down onto one of the love seats, letting out a yelp when he pulled her into his lap before burying his nose in her hair.

"I know I haven't been very open about what happened to me in Tikrit. I think it's time to clear the air. Annie learned the whole story last Christmas so if it gets too much I'm going to let her take over." He said, sipping from his drink before feeling his way to the table that was in front of him to set it down. He took the silence as a reason to continue as he gave Annie another squeeze before he launched into an abbreviated version of what happened to him, only leaving out the part about him being a CIA operative.

"After the accident, I was angry. I was beyond angry. I went overseas for my country and lost my eyesight and my entire unit in one IED. It wasn't just my sight I was angry at. I lost three of my best friends that day and to have to go to their funeral as the only survivor of that attack and to not have my sight to truly repay my respects got to me. The first Christmas I was home, I hadn't adjusted yet. I wasn't used to not having my eyes to rely on. I was down one sense and hadn't truly learned to listen to my other four senses yet, and then I tripped over that damn shoe and almost broke my ankle. I know it wasn't my nephew's fault and I know I scared him half to death with the swearing, but I was aggravated that something that simple tripped me up and made me lose control of my emotions. I …" he paused looking at Annie who squeezed his hand again before giving him a ghost kiss on the side of his neck. "I had a relationship with someone I thought I was going to marry, but she couldn't handle being engaged to someone that was blind. She thought she could but when I tripped over another shoe she had left out it was the icing on the cake and she walked out. Annie found me in my apartment three days later. I was drunk out of my mind and had trashed the place. She didn't bother waking me up, just threw me into a cold shower before making me drink an awful hangover concoction, and then putting me back to bed. When I woke up again my apartment had been cleaned top to bottom and all the dishes I had broken had been replaced in the span of twelve hours. She stayed with me through Christmas and that's about the time I realized I had feelings for her. It's not easy for me being blind, I trip or stumble at least four times a day but Annie's been by my side for most of it and is there to catch me when I fall, emotionally or physically."

It was quiet out on the deck as he gave his parents time to soak up the information that he had thrown at them. After almost four years of silence it was a lot to take in at one time, but soon he found himself engulfed in another hug as Annie tried to move off to the side.

"Not so fast Annie. You've helped my boy through so much. I don't know how I'll every repay you." Jean said, pulling Annie into the hug that had converged on the couch.

"There is nothing to repay Mrs. Anderson, he was my best friend for years before we started dating. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat." She said, allowing the tears she had tried to hold in through Auggie's story finally come free.

"Mom, I think we're going to go back to sleep. I'll see you guys in the morning ok?" Auggie said, standing before he swept Annie up in his arms, placing a kiss on her head. He felt his father's arm reach out to take her but he shrugged him off. "I've carried her hundreds of times, we're good." He knew his father was only worried about them but Auggie knew he would never allow harm to come to Annie if he had anything to do with it.

He carefully made his way through the living room, before taking the stairs a little slower than usual. Opening their bedroom door he closed it with his foot before setting the blonde woman in his arms down slowly on the bed, running a hand through her hair before placing another kiss into her hair.

"Every day you surprise me love. I love you Annie Ande…Walker." Auggie mentally chided himself for his slip of the tongue, hoping Annie hadn't caught it. When he felt her turn to face him he knew his plea went unheard.

"Anderson..hmm?" she asked, pulling him to her, causing him to fall onto the bed as she sealed their lips.

When they finally broke apart he stretched out on the bed, keeping her in his arms.

"Can't say I haven't thought about it Annie. You mean too much to me to let you slip through my fingers." He whispered into the dark. It was one of the hundreds of times he wished he could see, he wanted to see the look on her face at that moment as he ran his hands up and down the length of her arms. When she pulled away from him and climbed off the bed he heard her rummaging through their bag, throwing a pair of sleeping pants and a shirt in Auggie's direction before finding a negligee that she had packed on a whim. She watched him as he changed, a look at his toned body sent chills through her as she hurriedly changed, then watching Auggie as he went through the motions of changing.

"Staring Walker? That's not nice." He said, finding her pillow and throwing it in her direction, glad to hear her laugh echo through the small room. When she placed herself back into his arms he ran his hands up her side before his hands froze. "What exactly are you wearing love?" he asked, the silk of the negligee soft against his fingers.

"Figure it out for yourself solider boy, I didn't buy it for looks. I bought it for texture." Her soft admission that his other senses where heighted and she had thought about it when she bought this made his heart soar, but that was the last coherent thought either had for a few hours.

* * *

When they finally separated from one another it was close to one in the morning as Annie settled down into a deep slumber. Auggie waited until he was sure she was asleep before slipping out from underneath her, finding his sleep pants in the mess on the floor before making his way downstairs. He made it to the kitchen without incident, finding a drinking glass with ease. When he turned to the sink to cut on the tap a voice behind him startled him.

"Interesting design on your back." His father said, inwardly berating himself when Auggie jumped almost a foot in the air. "Sorry, I thought you heard me."

Auggie just shook his head before filling his glass and making his way to the kitchen table, taking the chair that he assumed was across from his father.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not talking about my Special Forces tattoo?" Auggie said after a few minutes and he was halfway done with his glass of water.

"Because I'm not, she did a number on your back." The laughter in his father's voice was hard to miss but it still made him feel like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner.

"If you couldn't hear Annie then that was nothing." He said, speaking the truth and wondering just how many shades of red his father had turned at his bluntness. "Speaking of Annie, I was hoping we could steal the cabin Christmas night. If everything goes as planned, well I doubt you want us in the house that night." Auggie said with a laugh. When he felt heat radiating from his father he knew he had finally gotten him to blush, but it was something he had planned on asking his father for anyway.

"Talk to your mother when you get the time. I'm sure she'll help you set something up. She loves Annie." He heard his father drain the last of his beer, patting Auggie on the shoulder as he went to leave the kitchen. "I'll see you guys in the morning." He listened to his father's footsteps before he drained the rest of his water and made his way back upstairs to Annie, slipping back into the bed as she automatically curled herself back into his arms, even in her sleep.


	5. 05 Baking Day

**Breathe  
05. Baking Days**

When Annie woke up the next morning she smiled at the weight of Auggie thrown across her. It was something she had gotten used to and didn't want it to change anytime soon. His slip of the tongue last night proved that he thought the same way. She wouldn't mind becoming an Anderson if it meant she got to spend the rest of her life with Auggie. Slipping from the bed she gathered their clothes from the night before, placing them in the laundry basket that was on the dresser before gathering her clothes for the day.

A look at the clock told her it was five forty five, too early to wake the man sleeping in their bed. She slipped into their in-suite bathroom for a shower before he woke. As Annie showered she thought back over everything that had happened since she had meet Auggie Anderson. It had been an interesting few years but she wouldn't trade it for anything. She enjoyed her time in the shower, letting the heat from the water soothe her sore muscles, smiling at how they had gotten that way for once. Anytime spent with Auggie was well worth the soreness later on. They had started at a frenzied pace the night before as they had sex but their second round was about loving each other as he took his time to let his feelings come through for her. It had been magical, no matter how much of a cliché it sounded like in her head. When she finished her shower she dried off before lightly drying her hair, deciding to let it air dry the rest of the way. Once dressed she silently made her way downstairs, glad to see that the kitchen was empty. She started the coffee pot before digging through the fridge pulling out the eggs, milk, and bacon before setting it all on the prep station on the island.

As she poured her first cup of coffee she heard Jane come into the kitchen, looking ever the picture of perfect.

"Moring Mrs. Anderson, coffee's ready if you want a cup." She said, waiting for Jane to nod before pouring the older woman a cup.

"Thanks Annie and it's Jane. My son is head over heels for you, drop the Mrs. Anderson pretense." She said, taking the cup from Annie and taking a deep drink from the hot, caffeinated beverage that was in front of her.

"Yes ma'am." The younger woman said before turning back to the makings of breakfast as Jane eyed her with a smile on her face.

"You know Auggie can eat up a storm. His father's the same way, why don't I take the bacon and bagels. You get started on the eggs and gravy if you don't mind." She said, turning to take the bacon from Annie when she was given a sheepish smile.

"I can't make gravy, every time I try it turns out a hot mess and definitely not edible." She said, trying to ignore the blush that crossed her checks.

"Well then I'll take the gravy and show you how to make it. Can you do biscuits?" she asked, as she pulled the flour from the fridge, setting it on the island the rest of the supplies where on.

"Yes ma'am. That I can do." The women then fell into a comfortable conversation as they started breakfast about art, something Annie knew inside and out because of her Smithsonian cover. When Collin came up behind Jane and gave her a kiss, Annie redirected her eyes to the biscuits she was working on, pulling the cheddar cheese from the fridge and adding a generous handful before giving the dough one final mix.

"Morning Annie, is that son of mine up yet?" he asked, giving her a wink behind Jane's back which just caused Annie to roll her eyes at his attempt to get a rise out of her.

"No sir. Still asleep," was her reply as she spooned out the biscuits before placing them into the preheated oven.

"Do you mind trying to wake him up? He'll want a cup of coffee before breakfast and he's hard as hell to wake up when he's on vacation." Jane asked as she turned back to the gravy she and Annie had started.

"Will do," was her cheerful reply as she poured another cup of coffee into a travel mug, adding a little bit of sugar and cream before sealing the lid. "This will do the trick." She said, laughing at the surprised look on his parents face.

As Annie started up the stairs she heard Jane mutter something about 'Why haven't we tried that before?' until she was out of earshot and silently tiptoeing into the room her and Auggie shared. Setting the cup of coffee down on the nightstand far from the edge, she sat down next to Auggie and started rubbing his back which was turned to her.

"Morning babe," Was his throaty reply as sleep finally released its hold on him. "Do I smell coffee?" he asked as he gave her a light kiss on the lips before she pressed his coffee cup into his hand, smiling at the sigh he gave after took the first sip.

"You are a God-send Annie Walker." He said, finally sitting up fully in the bed as he pulled her down into his lap. The laugh Annie let out made him smile in her direction before nuzzling her hair with his nose.

"So I've been told. Breakfast will be ready by the time you get downstairs. I have to go help your mother finish setting up. I'll see you in a few?" she asked, giving him a grin when he shoved her lightly in the direction of the door.

"Go on Walker. I'll see you downstairs." He replied as she slipped out of his grasp and left the techie with his morning cup of coffee.

When Annie returned down stairs she saw his parents looking at her with something akin with awe.

"What'd I miss?" she asked, reaching for her own cup of coffee, taking a sip before starting to help Jane set the table.

"The fact you were able to wake him up without being yelled at or having something thrown at you." Jane said as she pulled a carafe from the cabinet and poured the contents of the coffee pot into it before setting it on the table on a hot plate.

"That's because she brings me coffee, and it may have something to do with the fact I love her." Auggie's voice said, carrying over from the doorframe. He seemed to love listening in on conversations but Annie knew he wasn't doing it on purpose. It was a part of his training; you needed to know what you were going to walk into at any given moment. If she was honest she did it herself.

"Morning son, nice to see you finally decided to throw a shirt on." Collin said, remembering their conversation from the night before. Auggie just rolled his eyes in the direction of his father before finding a chair at the table and making himself comfortable. The last thing he needed his mother to see where the marks Annie had left on his back.

"So after breakfast Auggie and I are going down to the hardware store. I plan on making Keri and Maddie a play place for Christmas and I need so more lumber. What do you girls have planned for the day?" Collin asked, letting Auggie know with his tone that they were in fact going to look for a ring as well.

"Collin you know it's my baking day. Annie I wouldn't mind some help in the kitchen if you're up for baking. It usually turns into a full day event. Five sons, nine grandchildren, five daughter-in-laws or girlfriends plus me and my husband means we go through a lot of sweets."

Annie nodded her head in consent before they started plating their breakfasts, this time Annie caught the smile Collin and Joan where giving her when she plated Auggie's and then told him where it was.

"Oh, coffee's at your two o'clock beside your plate as well." She said, before turning to her breakfast and enjoying the fruits of her labor.

"Annie, we'll need to go to the store when we're done with breakfast. Please don't let me forget my shopping list; I'd be lost without it." Jane said, throwing the reminder out there in case she truly did forget her list.

When breakfast was finished and the dishes where put into the dishwasher Auggie pulled Annie outside, pulling her down into a chair before breathing in her scent.

"I'll miss you." He said, barely above a whisper as he heard his parents come out with what he assumed was the carafe, when they refilled his cup he knew for sure.

"You about ready to go son, we have about an hour and a half drive to get to the lumber store." Auggie nodded his head in agreement as he stood, holding Annie steady as she lost her footing.

"I'll see you soon Walker. Call me if you need me." He said, before giving her a real kiss, ignoring the feeling of his parents staring at them as he turned her loose.

* * *

Annie and Jane made their way through the supermarket at a leisurely pace, enjoying each other's company as they picked up the supplies they'd need for their day of baking.

"I've never seen Auggie this relaxed Miss Walker. I don't know what kind of hold you have over my son but I, for one, hope you never lose it." She said as she pulled down a ten pound bag of flour before asking Annie to grab a twenty pound bag of sugar.

"We going to be doing a lot of baking?" she asked, gesturing to the bag of sugar that didn't take much for her to lift, she had carried packs that where heavier.

"Like I said we have twenty-one people all together, nine of which are children. Speaking of my daughter-in-laws' are going to come over and help. I think my boys are on children duty today. With seven of us and two ovens it shouldn't take too long. Maybe six hours." She said as she pulled three different kinds of chocolate down from the shelf.

Annie was happy to hear that Auggie's sister-in-laws' where going to be helping, even if she was nervous about meeting them. While he had elaborated about his brothers during many of their late night talks he had never really gone into detail about his sisters by marriages, which lead her to believe they weren't very close. She didn't bother trying to pry for information, she would be meeting them soon enough.

When their shopping was finished they made it back to the house in record time. Thankfully a car was waiting for them as they started to unload the bags from the back of Jane's SUV.

"Girls, this is Annie, Auggie's girlfriend. She'll be helping us with the baking today. These are Ashley, Leigh, Kimberly, JoAnn, and Kira. You'll meet the rest of the brood later tonight. Baking days brings them all home." The women that surrounded them agreed with their laughter as they spread everything out on the kitchen island.

"Ok this year we're doing peanut brittle, puppy chow, homemade fudge, toffee and a few candy bars. Ashley and JoAnn if you'll start on the peanut brittle, Leigh and Kimberly can you get started on the puppy chow and Annie and Kira if you could start on the fudge and I'll start on the reeses candy bars."

Indeed true to Jane's word, it took them close to six hours to finish making the candy, getting it wrapped, and cleaned up. About the time they finished wrapping the first batch of candy the house was invaded by Anderson's. Her first clue was a gaggle of children ranging in age from four to sixteen almost breaking down the door to see their grandmother and aunts, followed shortly by four men who looked almost identical to Auggie.

"Stop running in the house!" the one who looked the oldest bellowed, glad when the giggling stopped once the children piled into the living room. The four eldest Anderson boys in turn gave their mother a hug and kiss before they began the process of trying to steal food from the kitchen. Kira looked over to Annie and rolled her eyes.

"You swear they act like we never feed them." She said, earning a laugh from the Anderson females, and slightly reproachful looks from their men.

"Boys, this is Annie, Auggie's girlfriend." She said, pulling Annie into her side, "she convinced him to come home for Christmas this year." She threw the last part in as an aside but she knew it would have the desired effect to endear her into their hearts.

"Nice to meet you Annie, so where's my youngest brother at?" the oldest one, who she learned was named Aaron asked.

"He's out shopping with your dad." She said, as she shook hands with the other Anderson boys.

"This one here is Nick, he's second oldest. Then there's Michael and finally Alex." Annie nodded, knowing she would have trouble keeping them all straight, let alone all the children underfoot. "As far as all the children go, we usually just call them Thing 1 all the way down to Thing Nine, they know their numbers."

The inside joke got the laughs Jane was hoping for as she shooed them all into the oversized living room as their dinner cooked in the oven. Annie was in the middle of a conversation with Aaron, or Michael, about her travels before she started working for the Smithsonian when Auggie and Collin walked in the door. While Collin walked straight into the living room Auggie paused at the entryway, not sure where the kids where sprawled out at.

"Five steps forward, one step to your left and your right in front of me." Annie called by second nature blushing at the looks his brothers and sisters gave her, which softened when they saw Auggie's face light up.

"Thanks Walker. Nice to have a voice in my ear." He said, taking the seat that Aaron vacated for him once he was in front of his girlfriend.

"Always, babe." It was something simple they had done hundreds, if not thousands of times before, but here in front of his family it let them know just how special he thought she was when he pulled her into his lap once he sat down.

The inside joke was lost on most of his family, expect for his parents, who gave each other a searching look as Auggie and Annie laughed, lost in their own little world.

"Girls, if you don't mind helping me put the finishing touches on dinner, it'll be ready in ten minutes." The last part was directed and the Anderson men and the children. Once the room was clear however Auggie turned his attention to his brothers.

"So, what do you think?" he asked to no one specific person.

"You already know my opinion on her. She's good for you son." His father said, clueing in his brothers as to what he was asking about.

"So she's the one?" That was Aaron's voice, and the way he said that told Auggie all he needed to know.

"She's my life." Was his reply as he fished into his pocket and pulled out the ring he and his father had just purchased, handing it off to Aaron, knowing he would show the rest of his brothers.

"She's good with the children too. They seemed to love her stories of her travels. When she spoke in Russian I saw my eldest daugther's eyes light up. Seems we may have another linguist in the family." That came from Nick, who was surprised his daughter wanted to learn Russian.

"Russian's a second language to her. She speaks, eight or nine more fluently, and has a grasp of four others." Auggie said, unable to gauge their reactions to his choice of soon to be fiancée.

"You know how to pick 'em August." His father said, still absorbing the fact his sister, for all intents and purposes, spoke more languages than he could ever dream of learning.

"I know. I had planned on waiting until Christmas but I'm not so sure on that now." Auggie said, more to himself than to his brothers and father.

"The family's all here if you were to do it tonight. I don't know what time we're all getting together on Christmas." That was his mother's voice, and he could tell by her tone that it was time to change the conversation least they get caught by Annie. "Let me know though, the girls and I need to go set the cabin up if you are planning on it tonight."

Their mother's last statement earned her a laugh from her sons. It was basically Anderson tradition that the day one of her boys proposed to their intended, they spent the night in the one cabin that was at the back of the property.

The fact his family approved of her so quickly helped him make up his mind.

"Go ahead then. Like dad said, there's no telling what time we'll all get together on Christmas and I don't know if I could handle waiting all day, my nerves would kill me." The fact he was nervous about proposing to Annie just solidified the fact that Annie was the one for him, it was something all of her boys had gone through before they dropped to one knee for the rest of their lives.

"Ok. Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes if you boys want to grab a drink and take it on the deck. We'll come get you once dinner's done." And with that Jane Anderson left her men and children to fend for themselves for the last few minutes before dinner finished.


	6. 06 Tie It Up

**Breathe  
06. Tie It Up**

**Authoress Note: We're swapping genres for this one. It's "Tie It Up" by Kelly Clarkson which is one of her few country songs.**

Dinner turned out to be a unique affair as it was served buffet style to accommodate the large number of people within the Anderson house. Annie guided Auggie out of love more than necessity as she filled his plate once again, telling him where everything was on his plate before going back to fix her own. Dinner turned out to be a loud affair with children complaining they wouldn't eat their vegetables and parents stepping in and stating that if they didn't eat their vegetables they wouldn't get desert, which was what this day was for. Jane's desserts at the first family dinner were legendary in her family as all the Anderson women seemed to have a baking gene when it came to sweets. When dinner was finally fisnished an hour and half later, Annie went to rise to help the other ladies serve desert when she was waved off by Jane.

"You've helped more than enough today Annie. You took their place on the shopping trip, you're relieved of duties for the night." The twinkle in Jane's eye didn't go unnoticed by Annie but she let it slide, thinking the woman was just happy to have her youngest boy home for Christmas. The air in the room seemed to shift when Jane and her daughters came in with drinks and an array of desserts. When Annie turned to take her drink from Jane, who tapped her shoulder, she almost dropped the drink, which Jane skillfully took back from her. Her Auggie was down on one knee, looking in her direction as he took her hand.

"Annie Catherine Walker, you walked into my life almost three years ago. Since then it's been one hell of a ride. I almost lost you when you went to Stockholm and I don't intend to ever lose you again. You are the best friend I've ever could have asked for since Tikrit. Would you do me the honor of taking my last name?" the silence the permeated his statement as he waited for Annie to answer him. When he felt her arms wrap around him and her soft lips press to his he couldn't hold back his grin.

"Can I get a verbal answer Annie? You're killing me here." The nervousness had crept into his voice as he heard a few of his brothers laugh. The answer was obvious on Annie's face as tears of joy leaked from her eyes but their youngest brother couldn't see that.

"Yes, August. A thousand times yes." She whispered into his hair before he pulled her into another kiss, losing track of where they were and who was there until one of his brothers slapped him on the back, breaking them apart.

"There are children still here, cool it you two. You have all night." Michael said, pulling his brother in for a manly hug as Annie was swept off by her soon to be sisters and mother-in-law as they admired the ring.

"Lumber run my foot Collin!" Jane's voiced cried out as she gave her husband a smile from Annie's side.

"Welcome to the family Annie. It looks like we're getting another sister after all." Ashley said, beaming at Annie and the rest of the girls as a sense of normalcy came over the group, Annie never realizing when the girls slipped out the back door.

They talked about Annie's language skills for another hour before Jane and the girls slipped back in right around eight o'clock as Auggie's youngest nieces and nephews started yawning. One by one his brothers' and their families slipped out the front door until it was just the youngest two Anderson boys left. At some point Annie excused herself to their room, she wanted to find a book she had brought with her, but Kira slipped out with the excuse of looking for a blanket one of her children had lost before she slipped up the stairs behind Annie.

Once they were enclosed in the bathroom away from prying eyes Kira pulled a negligee out of her bag. It was in the pattern of a Santa suit, with a rough material and white fur along the bust line and hem line. Annie raised an eyebrow in Kira's direction before her youngest sister-in-law to be spoke.

"I overhead Auggie talking with his brothers one year; That he didn't see why girls bothered to dress up for him when he took them on dates because he couldn't see it. I figured since it has texture to it and the fur it would be something you both could appreciate." She said, as they giggled like young school girls before Kira's husband Alex called up the stairs that he had the kids ready to go if she was ready.

Annie left the risque outfit in their bedroom before joining them downstairs again, glad for the peace and quiet once again.

"Well Miss Walker, you just survived the second worst day in Anderson Christmas traditions. I'd say you did pretty well for yourself." Auggie said, as she sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulders. He could tell she was exhausted but he wasn't surprised, he knew his family would take a lot out of her.

When his parents said good night with knowing looks in their direction Auggie stood, stretching his arms over his head before pulling Annie to his side.

"Come on. There's something I want to show you, but first do you mind grabbing our clothes for the night?" he asked, giving her a ghost of a kiss as she darted up the stairs, grabbing his sleeping clothes, her negligee, and then another set of his sweats for her to sleep in when they finally settled down for the night.

When they walked out the back door he could feel her curious stare earning her a chuckle.

"There should be a path here somewhere; we're going to follow it." He said, knowing no one had told Annie about the cabin yet. They walked in the dark for probably ten minutes until the cabin finally came into view. Her intake of breathe told him that his mother and sisters had outdone themselves.

"So that's where they all disappeared to." It was more a statement than a question but he treated it like a question non-the-less.

"It was. I take it they outdid themselves. I am the baby of the family no matter how old I get." He said, chuckling at his family's antics.

"They did, you ready to go inside?" she asked, taking the lead as they entered the cabin. Auggie could feel the awe that came off her body in waves, the cheerfulness and happiness that he had come to associate with his fiancée. It felt odd to think of Annie has his fiancée, best friend and girlfriend yes, but he could get used to it very quickly.

The one room cabin was covered in candles of all different colors and sizes that had been lit. The bed was covered in satin sheets and a fur blanket that looked inviting and sensual at the same time. A glance into the kitchen showed that it had been stocked if they chose to stay there a few days and a bottle of wine had been chilled, sitting on the small kitchen table. Jane had outdone herself with a plate of decadent strawberries that had been dipped in both dark chocolate with a white chocolate drizzle across them.

"There are candles on every available surface; and what looks like satin on the bed." Annie said, describing the view to him as he kept her close to his body. "It looks like the fridge is fully stocked and they were kind enough to leave us a bottle of wine on ice as well as a plate of dipped strawberries."

The more she talked the more he wished they were doing a very different kind of talking as he pulled her closer to him.

"Miss Walker, why don't you go get ready for bed?" he said, the smoldering look in his eyes telling her all she needed to know as she slipped out of his hands and into the bathroom. As she pulled on the negligée she looked in the mirror, wishing tonight of all nights Auggie could see, but their sense of touch would make up for it.

When she stepped back out into the main room, she felt his eyes on her. He had taken the time she had used in the bathroom to remove his shirt and pants and he was lazily laying back on the bed with two glasses of wine, waiting for her. When she slid onto the bed, she took the wine glasses from him, setting them to the side as she slithered into his arms; she enjoyed the look of pure joy he gave her as he ran his hands up and down her sides, across the coarse material and then onto the fur that ran around her cleavage.

"Miss Walker, your outfit is practically scandalous." He said, his voice as deep as the first night they had made love.

"I'm glad you like it Mr. Anderson. What do you intend to do about it?" she asked, injecting the coyness she knew he liked to hear from her when they shared a bed.

The yelp she let out as she was suddenly flat on her back, her body being covered in kisses told her exactly what he intended to do about it.

**Authoress Note: There are either three or six chapters left. I haven't decided if I am going to combined three chapters into one or not…it depends on how long they turn out. They'll be up by Sunday at the latest. I hope you've enjoyed it so far! Also I am very limited on internet access; someone hacked my jet pack and I am WAY over my usage so it may be January 3rd before I reply back to anything. **


	7. 07 Christmas Time, Part One

Breathe  
07. Christmas Time, Part One

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**Authoress Note: **Two or Three more chapters after this and 'Breathe' will be wrapped up. I have already been asked for a sequel to 'Breathe' which will come shortly after but the next piece that follows in this time line and/or series will be a New Year's Eve fiction. This is one of my shorter chapters but I plan on doing at least one more Christmas-centric chapter if not two so you'll get your fill.

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Christmas Eve was upon them before anyone knew where the time had gone. Thankfully the house had survived the holidays so far but people had be in and out of the Anderson house for days on end and sometimes Jane wondered about the state of her front door. For once she managed to wake up before either Auggie or Annie which was a feat in, and of itself as she started the coffee for the full day they had ahead of them.

As she started making the casserole that she would serve that morning she let her thoughts drift back to before Auggie went overseas. He was such a strong boy, willing to fight for what was right even when he was younger. She knew it did her no good to dwell on the past but it was so easy to do with her youngest boy being home for the first time in years. A creak from the ceiling let her know that either Auggie or Annie was up, which hardly surprised her. Those two seemed to run off very little sleep naturally on most days.

When she heard the shower start she knew it was Auggie, his steps where heavier than Annie's. Jane was startled by a kiss on the cheek from Collin before he moved away and poured one cup of coffee before pouring another for his wife.

"Come sit Jane. It's in the oven you can relax for a little bit." He said, guiding his ever busy wife to a chair before wrapping her delicate hands around her cup of coffee. She nodded her consent as she took a sip of the coffee, allowing it to warm her to her soul now that her family was truly complete. She was getting her son and another daughter all in one round and she couldn't wish for anything more. The shower was still running for a surprisingly long time when Jane was ready to pull the casserole out of the oven.

"Collin can you go tell Auggie that breakfast is done? Go thru the empty bedroom incase Annie's not up. Let him wake her up it sounded like they were up a while last night." Jane said, laughing at the look her husband shot her before he started up the stairs. He did as instructed, going through the spare bedroom, knocking on the bathroom door twice with no answer before he turned the handle to find it unlocked.

"Hey Auggie, mom wanted me to let you…" he paused, swallowing the words that had been on the tip of his tongue as he took in the sight before him. Auggie was in the shower but he wasn't alone. The fact his son was on his knees shook him from his stare as his covered his eyes just as his words registered in his son's ears.

Auggie instantly moved to cover Annie before turning in his father's direction.

"We'll be down in a minute." The dismissal in his tone was clear as a bell as Collin backed his way out of the bathroom and closing the door, all the while never opening his eyes until the 'click' of the lock was heard.

By the time Collin made it downstairs his face resembled that of a bright red tomato as he walked into his wife's kitchen. She didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow in his direction.

"I am never checking on him again if Annie's here with him." He said, shaking his head trying to rid himself of the image that seemed burned into his retinas.

"Oh! I don't know why I didn't think about that. His steps sounded heavier than usual, I thought that was just from him being tired." She said, laughing slightly at her husband's embarrassment. "They're grown Collin, I don't see why you're so surprised."

Collin just shook his head as he poured himself another cup of coffee, hoping that would help calm him down before the dynamic duo he had just left upstairs made their appearance, which would be any minute now as he heard the water cut off in the shower.

* * *

Auggie was still slightly stunned as they stepped out of the shower and headed back into the bedroom they were staying in.

"How long was he there?" Auggie asked, as he dried his hair, shaking loose water everywhere earning him a laugh from Annie.

"Long enough." Was about as far as she was hoping to know that her soon to be father-in-law every saw.

"Well then this will be an interesting breakfast. He'll go ten shades of red before an hour is up." Auggie said, suddenly pulling his very naked fiancée to him. "Good thing we have our training." He said barely above a whisper in her ear before nipping it lightly with his teeth.

She laughed like he expected but she gave him a gentle shove towards the bed.

"We've already given your dad a heart attack let's not give your mother one too. I doubt Collin will come looking for us anytime soon after that."

Auggie nodded his head as he pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater that Annie bought him the previous Christmas that was a dark gray before attempting to run a comb through his unruly hair.

"We're on vacation, leave it Aug I'm hungry." She said, as she directed them towards the door as she pulled on her last item of clothing, the green shirt that Danielle had told her brought out her eyes.

When they entered the kitchen Auggie immediately guided Annie to a chair, ever the gentleman, pulling it out for her before he went about fixing their coffee's just as his mother placed the casserole on the counter and began to divide it onto plates.

"Morning, son," she said, giving him a kiss on the check as she passed him before returning to serving the casserole that was spread out before her. As he returned to the kitchen table with their drinks he heard her do the same thing with Annie. He could practically feel the grin that lite up her face, in turn bringing one to his face.

As his mother set plates down in front of them he reached across to Annie pulling her left hand into his as he rubbed her ring finger with his hand, sliding it underneath the table away from his parents' ever watchful eyes.

Breakfast passed by in a flurry of plans for the day and Christmas. Jane needed to make another run to the store to do a little bit more baking and to get the last minute items for the meal she had planned for Christmas. The grocery store was right next to a jewelry shop which peaked Annie's interest so she excused herself to browse the selection. She knew Auggie had a watch but she wanted to see if she could find him something a bit dressier but that also had the functionality of his current watch. She browsed for a few minutes until the sales lady asked her what she was looking for, startling her from her train of thought.

"Well, my fiancée could use a nicer watch but I'd need it to either be able to read out the time to him or have a cover so he could feel the hands without accidently moving them by himself." There wasn't much in the selection behind the counter but she hoped they had something close to what she wanted to find.

"I don't have anything out here, but if you'll give me a moment I can go look in the back. I think I have just what you need." The woman said, getting excited at the prospect of finding what the young lady before her was looking for.

When she came back out she held in her hand only one box but when she opened the lid she knew it was what she wanted. It was silver and had a clasp design, something Auggie could handle with ease. It had the traditional watch face but a button on the side, when depressed, gave a read out of the time down to the second. Annie gave no thought to the price, a look at her engagement ring told her Auggie had done the same, handing the woman her debit card as she rang up the extravagant purchase. Watches like that didn't come cheap but it would all be worth it.

When they finally made it back to the house she was surprised to see that it had filled up with children. Ten or so of the Anderson grandchildren where running around outside in the light snow that had fallen while they were at the store. When all the bags where brought in chores where divided up on dinner and placing a few presents under the tree as the children ran around under foot. When dinner was finally finished Annie and Auggie somehow wound up on the floor in the living room sharing a plate of assorted foods, a blanket wrapped around them.

The sound of Auggie's private phone going off startled the quietness of the room as it rang from the kitchen.

"_Joan Cell….Joan Cell_"

Auggie shifted his weight from Annie as he turned to her.

"Could you answer that?" he knew she could find it quicker and without stepping on one of their nieces of nephews that were scattered across the living room floor in front of the fire. He heard her barley audible 'yes' before she stood and made her way into the kitchen.

"Hey Joan," she said surprised the woman would call them on their personal numbers.

"_Hello Annie. So Auggie and I had an interesting conversation yesterday."_

"Did you now? No idea what that was about." She said, trying to keep the smile out of her voice.

"_We did. Congratulations and tell Auggie the same. I want your Close and Continuing on my desk when you return and an invitation to the wedding. I hope you both are having a wonderful Christmas…"_

The conversation carried on for a few more minutes before Annie managed to get off the phone and reclaim her seat beside Auggie with two new cups of coca that she had pulled off the stove.

"What'd Joan want?" he asked, turning in the direction he knew she was in.

"To tell us congratulations and to enjoy the rest of our holiday and that you need to turn in a C & C when you return to work."

As far as they knew most of the family thought Auggie worked out of the Pentagon and they intended to try and keep it that way.

"Will do. We need to do dinner with them sometime soon. I haven't seen Joan or her husband outside of work in a while" Auggie said, pulling her back into his arm and underneath the blanket they were sharing and enjoying the sounds of his family all around them.


	8. 08 Christmas Time, Part Two

Breathe  
08. Christmas Time, Part Two

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Authoress Note: Two or One more chapters to go! I want to thank **Marie King **for her review! So far she's my only reviewer but I have 3 favs and 8 follows. Reviews are love guys!

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I already have another Annie X Auggie idea that I've sat down and mapped out. I have it outlined up to thirty-one chapters so far 0_o which will make it longer than 'Breathe' turned out to be; let me finish 'Breathe' first and we'll see if this other A^2 pans out like I plan for it to. If it works once I have five or so chapters done for it I'll send it your way.

Disclaimer: I do not own Covert Affairs: USA Network Does However

* * *

Around five pm on Christmas Eve the Anderson house was once again in an uproar as parents chased children trying to get them ready for the Christmas Eve church service. So far Annie counted four children that either only had on one shoe or only had on one sock and no shoe and three different parents trying to catch their little ones. Annie side-stepped into Auggie when one rambunctious four-year old almost plowed into her with a grin on his chubby face, before reaching out at catching the runaway child, Kira only seconds behind him.

"Thank you Annie!" she said, grinning at her soon to be sister-in-law as she took her youngest boy and swiftly put his missing sock and shoe on and then refusing to let him go in case he tried to run again. Auggie let out a laugh at how crazy his family was but was smiling all the same.

The Christmas Eve service was in a small church that was only lite by candle light which made it look like the biggest cathedral Annie had seen during her travels. The Christmas story was read from the Bible and the appropriate hymns were sung before the candles were extinguished and the church went about caroling. The snow that clung to the ground made Annie smile as it reminded her of her Christmases with her family.

Auggie surprisingly enough had a decent tenor voice. Annie had heard him sing before but he never had put any effort into it but tonight, with his family, he put forth the effort he had held back and it sent shivers down her back. Auggie noticed and gave her arm a squeeze before locking his arm into hers as they went from house to house signing their carols.

When they finally returned home at eight that evening Jane went about fixing another round of coca; passing it out to the children and then the adults as they enjoyed such a warm beverage after such a cold, snowy night. Once the drinks were finished Auggie's brothers began the task of taking sleeping children to the cars and once again the house was quiet and calm.

Annie helped Jane gather up the stray cups that didn't make it to the sink before Auggie stole his girlfriend back from his mother, urging her upstairs.

"There's a hot tub out on the deck, I packed your swim suit. Let's get changed, I need to hold you." Was all he said as they changed into their suits before quietly taking the stairs once again. When the hot tub had sufficiently heated up they both slipped into the water as Auggie pulled Annie back into his arms.

"You still sure you want to marry me? You got to see my family in action the past few days." He said, placing a kiss into her hair as he held her.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Anderson. You mean too much to me to lose." Her words were said with honesty as the raw emotion she tried to hold back crept into her voice. Auggie stared at her for what felt like forever until he suddenly pulled her to him, surprising her, before claiming her lips in a demanding kiss.

"I never want to lose you Walker." The words reminded Annie of the conversation they had had a few months before about Helen but she shook it off. She knew without a doubt she was who Auggie wanted, that Helen was a moment of weakness and remembrance. She let the unintentionally hurtful comment pass by without comment as she returned his kiss, losing track of time in each other's embrace.

* * *

Christmas morning seemed to come upon them with a vengeance. They had been up a good portion of the night, basking in each other and their after-glow but they still managed to get a decent six hours of sleep before the smell of coffee waived its way up the stairs. Annie, true to par, dressed and followed the smell of the delicious beverage down the stairs and into the, now very familiar, kitchen; grinning almost ear to ear when Collin immediately poured her a cup.

"Thank you!" she cooed, before taking the first sip of her morning life line as she felt a hand sneak around her waist, lifting her cup to where he could get a drink out of it himself.

"You know if there's coffee it's a requirement to wake me up." Auggie said, turning her lose before giving her a kiss on the check and making his way to the throne of all that was great and holy, or the coffee pot, depending on his mood.

"You were awake when I left the room, dear." She replied, which was true. It wasn't her fault he didn't want to leave the warmth of the bed for the goodness that was his mother's coffee.

"Whatever you say, Walker." The smirk on his face reminded her of how many times he had called her Walker the night before and the two times he called her Annie, it took all she had to keep a blush from creeping into her face, but she somehow managed.

"Why do you call her Walker?" Jane asked, she had noticed it on and off since they had shown up but hadn't thought to ask them about it until now.

"It's how we were introduced. We meet at an art function I was required to attend and it just stuck. I do call her Annie, just not with other people around." August Anderson knew he had given away too much information for his parents liking, the smirk on his face proved that, but he had done it intentionally. It was a guaranteed way to get them to leave it alone.

Auggie started internally counting, wondering which of his females would get to him first

'Three…Two…One…'

Annie's arm snuck out and hit him square in his arm just as his mother scolded him from across the kitchen.

"I did not need to know that August! You've already given your poor father a heart attack when he came up the other day to tell you breakfast was ready!" the sigh in his mother's voice told him it wasn't truly that big of a deal but he replied to it anyway.

"It'll teach him to knock and, oh I don't know, _wait on a response." _ Auggie said, finally able to laugh at his father's embarrassment on walking in on them as Annie reached across to hit his arm again. This time his was ready for it as he grabbed her hand and spun her, trapping her against his body, wrapped in his arms.

"Auggie turn that girl lose! No horseplay in my kitchen." His mother was serious about that one; he just placed a kiss on Annie's ear before releasing her and guiding her to her normal seat at the table next to him. When he was certain his mother was wrapped back up in whatever it was she was making for breakfast he turned back to Annie. "We'll finish that later, my sweet Annie." He said, giving her another light kiss on her check before releasing her for the rest of their breakfast.

"I almost don't want to ask this but when are you guys leaving?" Collin said as he poured more coffee into his coffee mug.

"Tomorrow morning. We need to leave by seven to beat most of the traffic." Auggie said, giving Annie's knee a squeeze underneath the table, he didn't know about her but he was glad to be going home; fewer interruptions that way; for the rest of their time off at least.

"Sounds good; most of the family will be here by ten if you don't mind waiting on presents. We decided to have it all here this year. If you want you can go get a few more hours of sleep, we'll let one of your brothers wake you up when they all get here."

Sleep seemed to win out as they drained their coffee cups before falling back into bed fully clothed; blissfully asleep within minutes of lying down.

* * *

Annie cracked her eyes open just as a blonde ball of hair landed on her stomach; all knees and elbows. Annie couldn't remember her name but it was one of Auggie's nieces and it had been the one that was so caught up in listening to her speak Russian the other night.

"Uncle Auggie! Aunt Annie! Wake up! It's Christmas!" the eleven year old exclaimed before attempting to nuzzle her way in-between her Uncle Auggie and….

Annie shot straight up in the bed, wrapping her arms around the young girl that had woken them up. She had called her _Aunt _Annie. A swell of emotion caught in her throat as she pulled Sarah to her.

"Hey Sarah, you want to know the best way to wake Uncle Auggie up?" she asked, whispering to make it seem real.

The girl looked at Annie and mouthed 'What?'.

"You….TICKLE HIM!" with that both Annie and Chloe started in tickling Auggie, who had been woken up as soon as Chloe landed on his bed saying Uncle Auggie. Auggie 'startled' awake before he found Sarah and tickled his young niece until she begged for mercy.

"Now, what was that about opening presents?" Auggie said, picking Sarah up and placing her on his shoulders much to the young girl's delight as they 'raced' down the stairs, one arm on Annie's shoulder to guide them down the stairs and into the living room where the rest of the family was gathered. The children had already divided the gifts into piles and where sitting before their respective piles looking at Jane, who gave them a grin and a nod of their head as they began tearing into their presents.

"Auggie…Annie, you're piles are over here." Jane said, guiding them to the back corner of the room to keep Auggie from getting stepped on by over ambitious kids. Annie could tell when Auggie opened the watch she got him as the 'click' of it going on his wrist made her turn to him.

"It's perfect Annie." He said, giving her a light kiss on the lips before finding the small rectangular shaped box he had wrapped for her the night before. "Open this one next." He said, smiling all the while as she opened the delicate paper to reveal a jewelry box. Inside was a sterling silver charm bracelet. The only charms on it so far was a coffee cup, her birth stone, his birth stone and a replica of the cane he used.

"Auggie…it's perfect." She said, pulling him into another kiss when they heard a squeal come from Sarah. If Annie were a betting person, she would bet that Sarah had opened the gift she and Auggie had bought for her. A look in Sarah's direction revealed that her thought process was correct as the girl held up her _Rosetta Stone Russian_ and showed it to her parents. Next thing Annie knew she was swept into a hug, Auggie soon following.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Uncle Auggie, Aunt Annie!" she said, she looked like she wanted to leave the rest of her presents and go play with her new software but Annie smiled in her direction before speaking to her.

"There should be an envelope on the tree with your name on it as well." Annie said, sending the young girl scurrying to the tree to find the envelope. Auggie heard the paper rip from the envelope and he wondered how long it would be before another… and right on time another squeal reached his ears as his niece came in for another hug.

"It's too much!" Sarah said, looking from Auggie to Annie in shock as she handed the contents of the envelope to her parents.

"No Sarah it's not. You want to learn Russian then you're going to learn it correctly. Annie and I will be due sometime off in the summer anyway and her nieces have been begging to learn as well. We figured we could take all three of you. Emerson is the best way to learn a new language."

His brother Alex came over and gave both Auggie and Annie a hug. Sarah had been pestering him to learn a new language and he had no idea where to start. She was only in the seventh grade; the fact his brother and newest sister had taken care of it for him meant a lot to him.

"Thanks Auggie. She'll never forget this." He said, trying to hide the tear that slid from his eye at his daughter's excitement.

"She's worth it Alex, a hundred times over. Annie's fluent in Russian so they couldn't ask for a better teacher." He said, smiling at his fiancée as he felt her move closer to him. The happiness his niece felt towards her new Aunt Annie made him happy. This Christmas had turned out to be more than he ever expected and it was all thanks to one Annie Catherine Walker.


	9. 09 Returning Home

**Breathe  
08. **_Returning Home  
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**Authoress Note: **_One more chapter to go!_ I do plan on working on a sequel to **Breathe** and then there's the other idea that I plan on working on as well. As far as **Breathe **goes there will be a one-shot and _then _the true sequel.

Once I have five chapters done on one of them I'll post and then start adding updates to them as I get them written. I don't have the sequel planned out like my stand-alone (or my new one) but I'll start planning out the sequel to **Breathe **once the one shot is placed up.

Oh by the way the desert apple I have Annie make in this chapter is to die for I made one as I wrote this chapter … I plan on eating it and then finishing out the last chapter of **Breathe** tonight

This chapter cut's off at an odd time…you'll understand why when I post the final chapter…**Marie King**… bite your tongue on why!

I've already started working on the new A^2 … let's just say that the first chapter is already at 3,118 words and isn't finished yet.

The trip back to Georgetown seemed to fly by; even more so since they didn't want to leave Glencoe. It had been an exceptionally nice visit. Especially since Annie had come home with a ring on her hand. Annie had offered to drop him off at his apartment because she needed to go home and get some more clothing. She also wanted to show her ring off to Danielle and her nieces as well. It took them ten minutes to part once she reached Auggie's; he didn't want to let her go and she understood why. In two days they had to return to work and then it was back to missions for Annie and stressfully long days and nights for Auggie. The peacefulness of the past few days had been much appreciated and a very well needed break.

When Annie made it home she tried to slip back to the guest house but Danielle was taking out the trash; which meant her escape wasn't going to go as smoothly as she had hoped for. When her sister invited her in for a cup of coffee, she knew she had been caught out or was about to be.

When the coffee was poured Annie was directed to a seat at the bar; directly next to her sister's usual place as she dug out a carton of Ben and Jerry's, tossing her sister a spoon before sitting down next to her.

"So how was your trip?" she asked, the smile was evident in her voice; even if she hadn't been able to see her sister's face.

"Very nice; I got to meet most of his family. His parents are nice." Annie said, taking a drink from her coffee as she stalled for time.

"What'd he get you for Christmas?" Danielle asked, noticing the bracelet that was on Annie's left arm. When Annie extended her left arm, she made sure that the light caught the diamond off her engagement ring. Ready for the squeal the erupted out of his sister's mouth when it came suddenly.

"Why didn't you call me?" Danielle exclaimed, pulling her sister's hand to her to inspect the diamond that adorned her hand. Turning her hand whichever way to see how it shined in the light.

"I thought about it but it was so busy that I didn't really have the time." Annie said, stealing the ice cream from her sister before getting a large scoop from within the container.

"So I take it you won't be home for a few days?" Dannie asked, already knowing the answer to her own question by the sheepish grin that crossed Annie's face. "Alright then; give me what needs to be washed and I'll take care of it when I do my laundry so you won't have to fuss with it."

Her sister truly was the mother hen type; not noticing when it carried over to her younger sister. It was just what she did.

Annie didn't waste much time swapping out her dirty clothes for new ones. She had already been gone for two hours and she told Auggie that she'd be back within three. On her way there she stopped by a local wine store, grabbing two bottles of Merlot; another stop at a convenience store and a twelve pack of beer later she was pulling into Auggie's reserved parking spot in his complex.

When she stopped the car she called Auggie. The door needed to be open as her hands would be full.

"Hey Auggie. I stopped and got some wine and beer; my hands are going to be full could you open the door in about three minutes?" she asked, when he answered in the positive, she picked up the wine and the pack of beer and made her way up the stairs; glad to see Auggie's apartment door halfway open when she reached his floor. The aroma that seeped out into the hallway from his apartment told her he had been cooking and it smelled like Italian. As she slid into the apartment the sounds of Mingus hit her ears; instantly unwinding her from the drive she had just made.

Auggie turned in her direction as she heard his front door fully open before closing soundly behind the smell of Jo Malone Grapefruit. She gave Auggie a kiss on the check as he stirred some kind of sauce on his stove that smelled as good as it looked. The wine and beer where placed in the fridge as Annie sat down on the bar stool, staring at Auggie as he cooked.

She seemed to lose track of time until she felt strong arms wrap around her middle, a nose being buried in her hair.

"You were staring Walker." He said, giving her neck a feather light kiss before he took a sip of her glass of wine.

"Sorry. Didn't realize I was, but there is plenty to stare at." She said, knowing it didn't bother him as much as he tried to make it sound like.

"As nice as that is to know our dinner is in the oven and won't be done for forty more minutes. Come lay on the couch with me." He asked, taking her hand as she grabbed both of their wine glasses as they moved gracefully towards his oversized couch. When Auggie stretched out he allowed Annie to set down the wine glasses before lying down with him.

They must have fallen asleep because another forty minutes later they were woken by the sounds of the kitchen timer going off. As Auggie walked into the kitchen to add the cheese to the top of their dinner, Annie rummaged through his fridge, pulling out romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, croutons and a block of parmesan cheese for their salad. She started shredding some of the parmesan as she watched Auggie move around his kitchen with the ease of someone that had sight. It was a majestic thing to watch; even if he never understood why she loved to see him in his apartment. It was just _right _for him to have this much ease in his surroundings.

Two more glasses of wine were poured after their dinner was plated and set on the table before they settled into a nice, warm, hearty meal. Between the meal and the wine, clean up went by without much horseplay which was unusual for the dynamic duo before Annie turned her eyes to their desert. She pulled two apples from the bowl on the counter before placing them on the cutting board and dicing them into thick cubes. She then pulled out a cookie sheet before placing two foil packets on top, adding the apples to the foil packets and then tossing in regular sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and an unhealthy amount of butter and a few drops of water before sealing them up and putting them into the oven to bake for forty minutes. They settled in to watch a movie as their dessert baked in the oven but by the time the timer went off they were too tired to do more than allow it to cool for a few minutes before eating the caramelized apples; they wound up falling asleep on the couch wrapped in each other's arms with not a care in the world until day break.

They still had another day off when the sun rose the next morning; coming through the blinds in Auggie's living room at a bright and ugly pace. Auggie as usual wasn't disturbed by it but it woke Annie enough that her tossing woke Auggie. When Annie returned from the bathroom a few minutes later Auggie was sitting at his kitchen counter, working on something on his laptop which he closed out as soon as Annie walked into the room; making the ever nosey spy, curious, but the grin on his face stopped her from asking what he was up to.

They decided on going to a café that was two blocks from Auggie's apartment that served a perfect café a latte. It felt nice outside; it wasn't too hot or too cold as they leisurely made their way down the side walk until they reached the café they had been looking for. Auggie staked a claim on an outside table before they filled up as Annie placed their orders inside, joining Auggie after a few minutes with two croissants.

Their breakfast was eaten at an amiable pace and when they left the café Auggie insisted that they walk in the opposite direction of his apartment, something about liking the feeling of the sun on his face and him turning into a vampire from lack of sun exposure.

When they rounded the next corner though he smirked as he heard the gasp leave Annie, could practically feel the tears that where coming to her eyes, and see the smile that slowly adorned her beautiful face.


	10. 10 Close and Continuing

**Breathe  
10. **Close and Continuing

**Authoress Note: **This is just going to be short and sweet. Maybe 1,000 words tops but it gets the point across and doesn't leave you hanging like the last chapter did. Bonus points for those that can guess what the sequel is going to be about? –Hint…it's mentioned in this chapter.

Thank you to **Marie King, Epona3, & Fran Fig! ** My three reviewers for my _longest_ fan fiction ever. The next stand-alone is going to be even longer

When Annie and Auggie walked into Langley bright and early that Monday morning no one thought anything of it; nor did anyone think anything of Auggie buying Annie the first coffee of the morning. No one saw the pair from there until almost nine that morning as they had gotten lost within Langley in an office that most people tried to avoid at any and all cost. Neither wanted to be there but they had to pick up their Close and Continuing form from Human Resources. No matter how much of a pain in the ass they were. They managed to get the paperwork filled out before it was time for them to truly start work that day which saved them half of a headache but on the other hand Joan had told them to file the Close and Continuing so it shouldn't have been that much of an issue; they were probably just worrying for nothing.

Annie was stuck on Russian translations for the morning; it wasn't what she wanted to be doing but it was better than being stuck at home. There was something about Russian that soothed her; as if the language called to her.

It was exactly 11:02 AM when Joan Campbell stepped out of her office. The 'click' of her heels told Annie that the paperwork had probably just hit her desk. Calder was standing next to her; that was a definite that the paperwork had hit her desk.

"Andersons' my office _now_!" Joan barked, staring down into the DPD bullpen. Auggie held is breathe and wondered if anyone else caught how she had pronounced his last name. It didn't sound like it but he knew what she meant as he strolled out of Tech Ops and over to Annie's desk.

"You ready to get this over with?" he asked as he held his arm out to Annie who grinned up at him.

"About as ready as you are Mr. Anderson." was her saucy reply as they headed towards their bosses office arm in arm. About the time they reached the stairs the DPD bull pen erupted as they realized the _Anderson _Joan Campbell had shouted out was not singular and that handler and operative had gotten _married_. It meant a lot of people in the DPD were out of money as well. The betting pool that had started circulating after their second mission paired together as handler and operative had suggested they were _sleeping _together not actually dating, let alone getting married after only knowing each other for three years.

Once inside Joan's office the 'click' of the door sounded deafening as the bull pen got back to work at whatever menial tasks they had been doing before Joan's outburst.

"Alright. I knew you were engaged _last week! _That I could handle. So _where_ did the marriage license you dropped off at Human Resources come from?" Joan asked, she wasn't actually that angry at them but it would have made her job a little easier if they had turned in their Close and Continuing before the marriage license.

Annie launched into the story from the day before about how Auggie had set up a justice of the peace for her and had his family fly up and even got Danielle and Michael and the girls to come in from California on such short notice; and just how was she supposed to say no to that face?

"You do realize Arthur and I wanted to be at the wedding right?" Joan asked, finally smiling at her two head-over heels in love agents.

"We actually did. We're going to do a church wedding in early June; that way Annie has time to do some planning; but after everything we've been through I wasn't risking losing her again Joan." Auggie said, the honesty in his voice raw from his love for his wife that sat beside him.

"Church wedding in June, then? Let me know the date and I'll get you both the time off; now if you don't mind I think the rest of the bull pen would like an explanation before Calder strains his neck trying to listen through a two-inch thick door."

At this Calder opened the door, blushing an interesting shade of red for a man of his coloring before giving an embarrassed cough as Annie, Joan, and Auggie all gave him amused smiles before they exited the office.

"If you don't mind, I am going to make an announcement; otherwise people will be in and out of Tech Ops and Annie's desk and I'd like for you to actually get some work done today." Joan said, as they walked out into the half-hallway that overlooked the bullpen. At Auggie and Annie's nods of approval she let them get as far as Tech Ops, Auggie's safe haven, before she called the bull pen to order.

"LISTEN UP! There's been enough gossip going around so we figured maybe we ought to clear the air. It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you Auggie and Annie Anderson." Joan said, pausing to let the commotion and cheering die down. "This changes nothing; unless you're working on something that is top priority you have an hour to mingle at twelve thirty I want you all back to work. There's food in the break room. Enjoy."

The mention of food, told Auggie and Annie that she had known about their impromptu marriage which caused them to laugh just as Arthur made his way onto the floor.

"By the way; if you are one of many people that will be exchanging money at Allen's tonight…well you might want to consider another job."

That set the bull pen into laughter something that was very rare in their line of work but was pleasant to hear none the less.

All and all it had been a wonderful Christmas season for those working within the Central Intelligence Agency's Domestic Protection Division.

Authoress Note: *sniffle* my baby is finished! Have no fear I have another Auggie Annie coming your way as well as a one shot and sequel based in the same as **Breathe. ** Thank you for the reviews, story alerts, author alerts and C2 adds!


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